1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates methods and compositions for producing fruits and vegetables having an extended shelf life and/or a reduced level of bacterial contamination.
2. Description of the Background
Spoilage of fruits and vegetables prior to consumer purchase and consumption remains a major problem in the agricultural industry. Simply put, consumers will not purchase and consume fruits and vegetables that show signs of spoilage. Accordingly, spoilage is a major source of lost revenue for the agricultural industry.
Methods of extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables are, therefore, extremely important to this industry. Many attempts have been made to preserve fruits and vegetables against spoilage. One method is canning, where the fruits and vegetables are sterilized by heat processing and stored in a sealed can (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,273). Pickling is another widely used preservation technique. In pickling, the foodstuff is immersed in an aqueous pickling medium, which generally contains a high concentration of salt (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,929).
A major drawback of canning and pickling methods is that the organolectic qualities, e.g., taste and texture, of the fruits and vegetables are altered. A major goal in the agricultural industry is to provide simple methods for extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables which do not alter the organolectic qualities of these foodstuffs.